Before we know it, training camp will be rolling, and preseason action will soon follow. Today, the NFL revealed the entire preseason schedule with dates and times, including five matchups as national games airing on the five NFL broadcast partners.
First, the Hall of Fame Game between the Texans and Bears will air on August 1 at 8 PM ET. The game usually goes to NBC, but their coverage of the Olympics instead gives it to ESPN/ABC.
There are no nationally televised games for the first week of the preseason, so the next game takes place on August 18—a primetime matchup between the Saints and 49ers on a Sunday night, with Tom Brady presumably on the call for his first broadcast on FOX.
The third week of the preseason then features Colts-Bengals on Prime Video (8 PM ET on Thursday, August 22), Cardinals-Broncos on CBS (4:30 PM ET on Sunday, August 25), and Patriots-Commanders on NBC (8:00 PM ET, August 25).
NFL Network should also carry plenty of live preseason games throughout August, but it’s probably no coincidence that the five national broadcasts will give fans a chance to see rookie quarterbacks Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Jayden Daniels, and Drake Maye.